Chapter 101 The Imperial Advisor Saves the Beauty, Consort Liu Suffers a Setback

"Your subject pays respects to Consort Liu."

Ling Xiao chuckled and bowed, raising an eyebrow at Consort Liu.

His sudden arrival surprised Consort Liu, her eyebrows furrowing tightly before she asked, "What is the meaning of the Imperial Preceptor's sudden visit?"

"I heard that His Majesty has a new maidservant who cooks very well. I went to borrow her, but Eunuch Wang said that she is in Consort Liu's palace?"

"I beg Your Majesty to spare him and allow me to take him away."

Ling Xiao spoke frankly and casually, as if he really knew nothing.

Consort Liu never expected that Ling Xiao had come for Meng Yanzhi.

"What, is the Imperial Advisor quite interested in this little girl?"

Consort Liu raised an eyebrow, looking at Ling Xiao with a half-smile.

Ling Xiao smiled faintly, then said, "Whether I am interested in this girl or not is not important. What is important is that I have come by imperial decree. Your Majesty should not disobey the decree, right?"

"You! How dare you!" Consort Liu stood up, looking coldly at Ling Xiao: "You dare threaten me?"

"Your subject dares not, Your subject is merely speaking the truth." Ling Xiao said he dared not, but in fact he was not afraid at all, he just stared coldly at Consort Liu.

Consort Liu knew very well that she couldn't really do anything to the person, nor could she really detain them. She could only grit her teeth and say, "Shuanghuan, bring the person over here and let the Imperial Advisor take them away."

"Yes!" Shuanghuan immediately responded, then hurriedly turned around and walked towards the small kitchen. Soon she brought Meng Yanzhi over. Meng Yanzhi's hands were already extremely red and swollen, and even when she bowed, they were shiny.

Seeing this, Ling Xiao laughed: "Consort Liu is truly capable."

"Miss Meng, come with me." Ling Xiao stepped forward, took Meng Yanzhi's hand, and strode outside.

After leaving the room, Meng Yanzhi hurriedly pried Ling Xiao's hands off, frowning as she said, "Grand Preceptor, don't pull and tug like that."

"I'm saving you, and you're not even grateful?"

"Consort Liu wouldn't have done anything to me originally, she would have just made things difficult for me. But now, I'm afraid this debt will be settled against me, won't it?"

Meng Yanzhi looked at Ling Xiao with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, feeling utterly helpless.

Ling Xiao never expected that Meng Yanzhi would think that way.

He frowned and looked at Meng Yanzhi: "You little brat, don't you know I'm helping you?"

"I know you're trying to help me, but you probably don't know how terrifying a woman's jealousy can be." Meng Yanzhi sighed helplessly, then looked at her hands and said sullenly, "Did the Emperor send you?"

"Yes, His Majesty sent me. If he hadn't told me to come, how could I have come?" Ling Xiao looked at Meng Yanzhi: "However, he said he would lend you to me. I have a seven-year-old sister who doesn't like to eat. You cook so well, could you cook something nice for her?"

Meng Yanzhi glanced at Ling Xiao, then shook her swollen hand.

"It's probably not going to work today, let's try tomorrow."

"Don't worry, Grand Preceptor, I will definitely think of a good way to cook something delicious for the child!"

Meng Yanzhi bowed and then quickly walked towards her room.

"Miss, you're finally back! I was so scared of you! Are you alright, Miss?"

"Mingchu, you must leave the palace immediately."

Meng Yanzhi looked at Ming Chu very seriously.

Upon hearing this, Ming Chu's expression immediately changed, and she shook her head vigorously: "No, this servant will not leave!"

"Leave the palace immediately and go to the Crown Prince's residence. Come back whenever I tell you to."

"I've already been targeted by Consort Liu. You are my weakness. I will absolutely not allow what happened last time to happen again!"

Meng Yanzhi held Mingchu's hand and looked at her very seriously.

Now, Mingchu understood. If he stayed, it would only make things more difficult for Consort Liu to Meng Yanzhi. Even if he was unwilling, he could only obediently follow Ling Xiao and leave for the Crown Prince's residence.

Meng Yanzhi sat on the bed, her hands tightly gripping the purse at her waist, her face terribly gloomy.

She's not one to take things lying down; she'll definitely teach a lesson to anyone who bullies her!

"Rouge! Meng Rouge!" Zhao Bailu's voice rang out joyfully. She rushed in quickly, looking at Meng Rouge with concern: "Rouge, are you alright? I heard you were arrested?"

Meng Yanzhi looked at Zhao Bailu with some helplessness, and then said, "Could you please keep your voice down a little? Do you want the whole world to hear you? No one arrested me. It's just that Consort Liu wanted to eat the dishes I made, so she called me over."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bailu's expression changed several times before she said helplessly, "Can't you realize the seriousness of this matter? Consort Liu is a wicked woman who is consumed by jealousy. She might very well try to kill you. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"I know, don't worry, I'll take good care of myself." Meng Yanzhi smiled gently, then took a large box of pastries and handed it to Zhao Bailu: "Here, thank you for caring about me so much. This is hawthorn cake that I made according to your favorite flavor. Try it when you get back and see if you like it. Don't you like sweet and sour things the most?"

"Yanzhi, you're so good to me!" Zhao Bailu looked at Meng Yanzhi with a smile, deeply moved.

Meng Yanzhi sighed helplessly. It was just a small snack; what was there to be grateful for?

In her previous life, she gave almost everything she had to the Meng family, but the Meng family...

"Consort Liu is not as simple as you think. I think she summoned you today simply to test the Emperor's attitude."

"Rouge, you have to be careful, you have to be extra careful!"

Zhao Bailu looked at Meng Yanzhi with a worried expression.

Meng Yanzhi smiled gently and then said directly, "Yes, I know. Don't worry, you came to the palace to play with me?"

"Hmm! I'd like to stay with you for one night, is that alright?" Zhao Bailu looked at Meng Yanzhi with a pitiful expression.

Meng Yanzhi could tell almost immediately that something was wrong with this little girl!

She smiled at Zhao Bailu and then said, "I won't take you in until you explain yourself clearly."

"My parents have started arranging marriages for me, and I'm not happy about it." Zhao Bailu pulled Meng Yanzhi along and sat down on her bed, sullenly. "I'm only seventeen, why do I have to get married? Once a woman gets married, how can she have a good life?"

Seeing Zhao Bailu's sullen and unhappy expression, Meng Yanzhi asked with a hint of curiosity, "Then... whose son is he?"

"It is Qi Huan, the young master of the First-Class Loyal and Brave Duke's family!"